Transcript The Origin of Roman Religion

The Origin of Roman Religion
What was the origin of Roman religion?
Most of the Roman gods and goddesses were a blend
of several religious influences.
Before Rome became a big city, the area around it,
called Latium, was settled by villagers (called
Latins) who believed in many gods and spirits who
were assimilated into the Roman Religion.
The gods of the Etruscans who lived in what is
modern day Tuscany also contributed to the
Roman family of gods.
Many were also introduced via the Greek colonies of
southern Italy.
In many cases the Romans found that there was a
Latin and Greek god for one and the same thing.
They tended to take two and make them one:
Vulcan was the old Latin god of fire, but the Greeks
had a god called Hephaistos who was very similar
but portrayed as a blacksmith; the Romans just
mixed the two together and made them one.
However, statues of Vulcan usually show him as a
blacksmith.
What was the Pantheon?
The Romans had
hundreds of
different gods.
This entire collection
of all their gods was
called the
Pantheon.
The temple in Rome
called ‘The Pantheon’
was dedicated to all the
major gods.
Juppiter
He was the master of the gods and
the main god of the Romans. In his
hand he held thunderbolts which
he could hurl from the sky.
Mars
He was the god of war, the strongest
and most fearsome god, except
for Juppiter
Juno
She was Juppiter’s wife, the
goddess of women, marriage and
fertility. Her symbols were a
peacock and pomegranate
Venus
She was the goddess of love
and beauty
Minerva
She was the goddess of wisdom,
learning, art crafts and industry.
Her symbol was the owl.
Neptune
He was the powerful god of the
sea. His symbol was the trident
Vulcan
Ceres
He was the blacksmith of the gods
She was the goddess of the harvest, And a god of the underworld. If he
always depicted carrying a bundle of stoked his furnace too hard, volcanoes
might erupt. He is also the god of fire.
grain
Diana
She was the goddess of hunting
and a goddess of the moon.
Bacchus
He was the god of wine and
partying. Naturally, he was one of
Rome’s most popular gods
Mercury
He was the messenger of the gods.
The wings on his helmet and sandals
allowed him to travel very quickly. He
was the god of travellers and tradesmen
Isis
Apollo
He was a Greek god and the
Romans adopted him without
changing his name. Although often
associated with sun, Apollo was
really the god of healing, prophecy
(oracles) the arts - especially
music - and archery.
She was the Egyptian goddess of
the earth. Her worship entailed
elaborate and exotic rituals
He was the Greek god of the
mountains and by extension of nature, half goat and
half man. He is always depicted carrying pipes.
Pan